Risk Assessment

Members of the Peterborough Drama Festival Committee take our duty of care seriously and therefore endeavour to keep everyone involved with the Festival safe and free from injury. As a result of this commitment, the following risk assessment has been carried out.
In the following assessment (following guidelines from the British Federation of Festivals) the following codes are used.

L = likelihood
1-3 is low risk
4-6 is medium risk
7-9 is high risk

S = severity
1 is minimal
2 is minor injuries that may require first aid
3 is major injuries that may require hospital treatment.

Our Festival takes place on school premises, therefore much of the risk assessment and corresponding issues will already have been addressed by the schools under guidelines from the Local Education Authority, in order to make sure that the premises fulfil all up-to-date safety requirements.

These requirements include:

Sufficient fire exits.

Clutter free corridors.

Fire exit signs.

Provision of adequate toilet facilities

Emergency lighting

Fire fighting equipment

Electrical safety (No portable electrical equipment is used during the course of this festival)

As a committee we should ensure that in case of fire (L2) (S 3) ............

*All stewards know where the fire exits are for their areas and are able to locate the nearest fire-fighting equipment if necessary.
*One of the room stewards notifies the committee room straight away in the event of any incident.
*Nobody moves tables or chairs to block corridors.
*Fire exit and direction signs are never obscured.

In addition to the first-aid provision in the schools, a member of the Festival Committee is a first-aider and a small basic first-aid kit for minor injuries, is available in the committee room at the festival.

In the event of a serious incident such as fire (L2. S3) or bomb threat (L1.S3) senior members of the committee will direct those in the building to the grass in front of the shops on Central Avenue, using the nearest available exits.

The committee room is manned throughout the Festival and members of the committee are available to deal with incidents that may arise. There is a steward at the table (alongside the adjudicator) in each competition area and at least one other steward on each door. The main entrance to the Festival is manned continually, controlling access and guiding visitors.

STAGES ( L.2 S3)

The two larger performing areas have low-level built in staging as in many school halls. Steps lead up to these. These are well-maintained and are unlikely to result in accidents.

All Festival personal wear badges to identify their role at the Festival. Parents and competitors can, therefore, easily identify the people to whom they may turn in the event of any incident or emergency.

All helpers and committee members attending the Festival are well-known to the organisers and sign in on arrival at the Festival. They are never knowingly left alone with any competitor. Younger competitors are accompanied and supervised by parents or teachers.

No portable/temporary staging of any kind is used at the Festival. Nor is any portable electrical equipment required by any performer.

There are no back-stage areas at the Festival. All areas are public.

No valuables owned by the Festival are kept on the premises overnight. The school buildings are alarmed. Cash taken on the door is taken away each evening. The money is never left unattended.

This Risk Assessment was drawn up on June 19th 2013 and approved by committee on . It will be reviewed and updated each year, as necessary, at the first committee meeting following the Festival.